Joey's Blogger

Joey visiting me when I gave birth to my first child/son G.
Now, how many high school kid do you know
would visit an "older" friend in the hospital when she gives birth?
Not many, but Joey is among the few :)

Today is my 3^rd month anniversary as Joey’s blogger. I thought it would be nice to tell you the story behind this “title”.

About two years ago, I started blogging to help me deal with a difficult situation I was in at that time. Blogging was a “cheap therapy” of some sort. Then blogging became an important part of my life, even an important part of my spiritual life.

About the same time, Joey and Rachel started a blog called Van Down By The River. And so the friendship that Joey and I had when he lived on Maui in his teenage years were revived. We got re-connected. I started following their blog.

After the Van trip, Joey and Rachel came home to Maui. On the Sunday that he came to Hope during that visit, we saw each other at the Hope Chapel parking lot. He came up to me with a huge smile, gave me a warm hug, while greeting me saying “How’s my blogger doing?”

“How’s my blogger doing?” That greeting meant a lot to me at that time. Joey could have said “hello, how are you” and it would have been sweet enough, but for him to say “how’s my blogger doing” was special because blogging held a very soft spot in my heart at that time. I felt that he “cared” and that he’s in tune with me. I appreciated him so much and can’t forget that little greeting that Sunday morning.

Little did we know that that endearing term “my blogger” would be literal years later as I started blogging for Joey in Johnson’s Maui Ohana, and therefore was called "Joey's blogger".

Joey was my encourager on blogging when I was just starting to blog. During his Maui visit, he and my husband were talking about his blog (Rachel’s too) and my husband told him that I am blogging too. He said "I know. Your wife's blog is good". At that time, my husband was so unsure about my blogging. But Joey's words gave him an assurance that I am doing something good.

The interesting thing is that if Joey is alive today, I don’t think you would see me and Joey hanging out together as friends (we would be friends, but not "buddies). No, we wouldn't be "buddies" but there would always be a friendship connection somehow. However, it seems like God had really connected the two of us on the few years and months before he passed away because God has a mission for me – and that is to encourage his mama and papa and all who loves Joey – and that would be achieved through the blog. There were several more instances before his passing that confirmed my “calling”. I had some some of those on my post here.

On the side note, my blogging for the Johnsons is also a good example of “sowing and reaping”. Karen, Joey’s mama, was among the first faithful reader of my blog. She would occasionally leave comments to let me know she’s reading it regularly. Karen sow love, she’s reaping love in return. I have faithfully blogged for them because I love them, and because I know God loves them so much that He wants me to “walk with them” in this time of grief.

And so that’s my story.

Stay tuned – tomorrow I will post something special. Tomorrow you will read about “CUY”- and you would not want to miss that one!